Provide an explanation as to why your proposal may merit exempt review.

Submit your proposal. Your proposal will then go to the department chair if you are faculty or staff. If you are a student, it will first go to your faculty mentor.

Once your department chair approves the application, he/she will forward it to the IRB.

Once the application has been received by the IRB, the Chair of the IRB shall take the following actions:

Review the proposal in accordance with federal, state, and university regulations for the protection of human subjects and determine in which category the proposal best fits.

As soon as practical, take one of the following steps:

If the project fits the exempt category, notify the initiator that the proposal has been approved and that the project may begin; that it requires modification; or that it has been disapproved. The Chair will inform the IRB at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the action taken.

If the project fits the expedited category, request a second member of the IRB to assist with a review of the proposal, and then take appropriate action.

If the proposal fits the full review category, distribute it to the IRB Committee for discussion and vote at the next committee meeting.